Vice Versa
by wolfteam000
Summary: (Assassin's Creed AU) He let the cigarette fall to the ground. Crushing it with his boot, he stuck his hands into his pockets, head bowed. "You're playing a dangerous game, my friend." A low rumble sounded in the captain's chest. Chuckling, Mystogan said coolly, "I'm a dangerous man."


If you know AC, then you'll see how perfect it fits as a Mystwalker AU. If you don't, go watch the world premiere trailer of Assassin's Creed Unity because it's absolutely perfect.

Recommended – Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Lorde)

By the way, let's make Mystogan 28 years old here. And oh, a friend drew assassin Mystogan for me (see profile).

* * *

**Vice Versa**

_Edolas - the most powerful nation in the world, ruled with an iron fist by a crazed tyrant, aided by the world's finest captains; each and every one dedicated to their liege and his Templar ideals – purpose, order and control to create a peaceful world._

_Wars were waged and much blood was shed for the sake of unity, for only then would conflict end and absolute peace be achieved._

_But from under King Faust's militaristic reign did the Assassin Order rise up in defiance. Their ultimate goal was the same as their sworn enemy's but the Brotherhood sought to do so through the preservation of freedom. _

_They worked in the dark to serve the light, shed blood to sow the seeds of peace, for peace was needed for true freedom._

_Two orders connected by the same purpose but divided by the means to an end._

_Neither side can claim to have secured the upper hand but with the defection of one of the Templar's most important figures, the war between the two orders have finally reached an unprecedented peak and chaos is about to engulf the world._

* * *

The sun was setting and darkness would soon cover the land. Although the shadows would conceal his movements perfectly, it was difficult to track his target at night.

He had to complete his mission before nightfall.

The man pulled up his hood, the peak hiding his cool hazel eyes as a soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

He took a deep breath and then broke into a run, boots scraping roughly against the stones as he scrambled up the wall, fingers scrabbling and grasping at protruding loose stones and ledges.

He grasped at an indent in the wall, his leather gloves adding much needed friction to aid his ascent. His knees strained under the pressure but he pushed himself upwards with the momentum. The stone he was crouching against must have been loose for he suddenly lost his footing and plummeted down.

A hand instinctively shot upwards and he found himself dangling in mid-air, supported only by his fingertips. His elbows ached as the jolt tingled down his hands but he hung on, trying to find his feet from underneath him.

The cool air filled his lungs and he held it in, mustering all his strength to pull himself up and grunting with the exertion, he heaved himself over the wall, landing on the tower of Edolas' outpost.

Peeking over the edge, he could see that there were only three guards stationed at the north tower. Slowly and silently, he padded over towards the one closest to him with practised ease.

His hidden blade slid out soundlessly and he pounced, one hand over the guard's mouth, muffling any sound as the blade slid in and out of raw flesh.

One of the guards turned just as he had finished and Mystogan unsheathed his sword, deflecting the incoming blow with his right before bringing up the dagger in his left and slitting the guard's throat. And as the man crumbled to the ground, Jellal could see the last guard trying to reach the bell hanging at the far end of the post. He gave a flick of his wrist and let his dagger fly, watching as it arched through the air and embedded itself into the man's forehead.

Sheathing his sword quietly, Mystogan padded over towards the fallen man. He pulled the dagger from the man's head and wiped off the blood using the guard's glove, slotting it back into its holder with a soft click.

A bell chimed merrily in the distance, haunting and eerie. But the air was heavy, only broken by the sound of approaching footsteps.

Mystogan crouched on the tower's ledge and surveyed the unfolding scene down in the central courtyard.

As if on cue, a man dressed in fine robes emerged from the fortress, surrounded by so many guards that it could only be called a mini-army.

A soft breeze swept through the area. Captain Hughes barked out a few orders, gesturing wildly with his hands. The moon was so bright that the assassin could see everything down below to the finest detail, from the Captain's ruffled collar to the guard's scratched boots.

Slowly, he swung both legs over the ledge of the tower, mind working furiously to calculate the distance and angle. He then leapt to his right, hands snatching at one of the few iron bars protruding from the walls below. Using his momentum, he swung himself towards the slanted ledges of the wall before springing towards the lower ledge, rolling over his shoulder and back on his feet.

Hughes almost seemed to turn around and Mystogan froze, waiting with bated breath; he didn't dare breathe for fear of being discovered. The captain stood in the center, his voice growing in volume as he reprimanded his men. He couldn't see the assassin yet but any movement would give him away, and so Mystogan remained crouched on the ledge, balancing precociously on the narrow strip of stone.

After a few minutes, Hughes started moving once more and it was then Mystogan leapt into the air, the hidden blade on his wrist extended as he threw a smoking canister into the squadron.

Thick grey smoke billowed out from the small canister and the guards immediately scattered into a defensive formation around their captain, swords drawn.

But it was futile, none of them could see more than a few inches in front of them and the sound of falling bodies soon echoed around the courtyard, blood splattering and pooling around the corpses.

Mystogan had long mastered the art of blind assassinations. Smokescreens were his tool of choice but he was notorious for assassinations using misty or foggy weather as a cover too.

And he didn't wait for the smoke to clear before he stabbed his former comrade through the throat.

Their fate had been sealed the moment he had been assigned the mission.

* * *

A small thump from the backdoor signalled the arrival of someone he was familiar with. The blond dried his hands quickly and slipped out of the backdoor of his tavern.

He couldn't see the man he was dealing with yet but he knew that he was lurking in the shadows close by.

Pulling a cigarette out, he lit it casually. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I only have a name. Fairy Hunter."

The musty smell of cigarette smoke lingered in the air as he leant back against the wall, looking up at sky. The skies were clear and he could see the stars dotted across the navy backdrop very clearly. They twinkled and sparkled like diamonds, winking at him cheekily.

The swish of the visitor's robes whispered beside him as the other man joined his side.

"Fairy Hunter huh?" Sting grinned, the cigarette dangling loosely from his lips. "I'm guessing it's an order from the top then."

Mystogan raised an eyebrow. It looked like the man knew more than he was letting on. "Tell me everything."

Surprise was written all over his face. "Everything?"

Silence greeted him.

Sting exhaled, watching as the gray smoke curled against the night's dark backdrop.

So, this _was_ something serious. Interesting.

He let the cigarette fall to the ground. Crushing it with his boot, he stuck his hands into his pockets, head bowed.

"You're playing a dangerous game, my friend."

A low rumble sounded in the captain's chest. Chuckling, Mystogan said coolly, "I'm a dangerous man."

Sting laughed. "But really, Fairy Hunter? You've been out of the loop for quite a while buddy and it's a new alias of hers, but I figured that you'd at least know who she was."

"She?"

Mystogan frowned. He had been out of the country for 8 years, helping their Assassin's branch in the neighbouring Earthland fight off the Templars and restore order. Having accomplished his goal, he had finally returned back to the main headquarters but he had fallen behind on what had been happening during all those years in Edolas.

"Oh yeah," Sting shot him a smirk, eyes flashing in amusement, "you know her quite well I might add."

A feeling of dread sank into the pits of his stomach.

"No. You're not serious."

A loud bang sounded behind them and Sting whipped around.

"Probably a problem with a customer, gimme a second to deal with this."

The blond strode back into the tavern, slamming the back door shut. Mystogan straightened up and jumped lightly, fingers gripping at the roof's ledge. He pulled himself up easily and clambered onto the top so that he could get a closer look through the sole window on the roof.

There was a squadron of Edolas troops inside, led by a red haired female.

His eyes widened as he recognised her.

"Fuck."

Erza stood in front of the bar, fingers tapping at the polished wood impatiently. She eyed Sting critically as he emerged from behind the room.

"Ah, what can I do for you, Captain?"

The female's grip tightened around her spear. "There have been reports of sightings of a fugitive in this area."

"A fugitive?"

"A wanted criminal by the name of Mystogan," Erza replied coolly as she sat down.

The man slid her a glass of whisky – neat – before picking up an empty glass and starting to wipe it.

"Can't say I know the name," he replied easily.

Erza raised a hand and gestured behind her. Her troops saluted and exited the tavern. Mystogan could see them fan out and start searching the area and he held his breath. As powerful as he was, he couldn't take on so many fighters at once. It was better to lay low for the moment. He still needed more information from Sting anyway. He peered down once more, eyes fixated on the woman before him.

Erza stared down at her glass, watching the golden liquid roll in a clockwise direction as she swirled her drink.

"Hm, really now, Sting?" She extracted a piece of rolled up parchment and spread it out before pulling out a dagger at her waist and pinning the parchment on the bartop in one swift motion. "Perhaps to refresh your memory?"

Sting sighed and placed down the glass. He glanced at the parchment, noting the maroon tattoo peeking out from behind the hood of the assassin.

"Look, Captain. I'd love to help but I really haven't seen a guy like this." He held up his hands helplessly. "And even if I have, I wouldn't recognise him with his hood like that. I'm sorry."

Erza drained her glass and slammed it down on the counter. She shot Sting a glare and stood up, ripping the parchment from the knife's hold and crushing it in her hand. She grabbed her weapon and she turned to leave.

"Make sure you report it if you see him," she tossed a casual glance over her shoulder. "You know what'll happen if we find out you didn't."

Sting nodded grimly. "Wouldn't dream of it. Goodnight Captain."

Erza didn't bother replying.

There would be hell to pay if she caught the blond helping the Assassins.

She would personally make sure of that.

* * *

Sting sighed and put down the glass and towel he was holding. "Saw all that?"

"Erza Knightwalker."

Sting shook his head, a grin on his lips. He pulled out another cigarette and lit it. He exhaled deeply, blowing out smoky tendrils from his nostrils.

"I hear you two have a history together. An intimate one at that too."

Mystogan closed his eyes, a hand going up to rub his forehead. "Fuck."

"As I said, you're playing a dangerous game, my friend."

This time, Mystogan didn't laugh.


End file.
